Ripboarding

If you haven't ever ripboarded before, I would recommend it. My husband, Charlie, and I went ripboarding in Golden, Colorado last summer. For two people who are not extreme water sport people, this was quite the adventure.

First let me tell you a little bit about ripboarding. It is basically boogie boarding head first down river rapids. Mountain rivers are very cold and rocky. So to be safe and warm you need to wear a wetsuit, water shoes, flippers, knee pads, shin guards, life jacket, and helmet (oh, plus the board). Charlie and I took lessons from Ripboard Inc. We first got all our gear on and then practiced maneuvering the board on dry land. After dry land practice, we moved to the water. To start in the water we stayed close to shore. We used an eddy in the river to practice turning our boards. After our water practice, we made three runs down the river. We had one guide in front letting us know where boulders were located and another guide behind us for extra safety. After a couple of runs we also got to surf in the rapids. Surfing, in ripboard terms, is facing upstream in the middle of a rapid. The churning waters keep your board in the middle as you ride the rapid out. Charlie and I weren't able to surf for very long. The instructors could surf much longer.

Ripboarding is not as dangerous and scary as it sounds. Charlie and I managed to survive 3 runs down Clear Creek (about ten II-III category rapids). We did this despite the fact that the river was much higher than usual and a group of rafters passed away in the canyon just up the river 2 days before we ripboarded. So if you are planning a trip to Colorado - look into ripboarding for a fun vacation adventure.